WOAY-TV (Oak Hill, WV): Record temperatures will bake southern West Virginia Thursday and then a stagnant pattern will lead to heavy rain starting this weekend.
Chief Meteorologist Chad Merrill has the latest:
TEMPERATURES: Record mid-80s with cooler mid-70s above 3,000 feet will greet the region Thursday afternoon. Fortunately, dew points in the upper 40s will allow the heat index to be cooler than the air temperature; in the lower 80s instead. Friday will get dangerously close to 80 degrees before clouds roll in. The next shot at low to mid 80s will be Wednesday, May 8.
RAIN: A front will move into the region Friday evening and stall out through the weekend. Expect a gully washer Friday evening and then again after Noon Saturday. Given the high atmospheric moisture content, flash flooding is likely to occur Saturday afternoon. A shower is likely again Sunday afternoon, but lower amounts of atmospheric water means torrential rain is far less likely and thus the threat for flooding is lower. A series of western U.S. troughs will send a few low pressure areas into the Ohio Valley early next week. Monday is the best chance for heavy rain and flooding after Saturday.
POLLEN: Thursday and Friday will be the worst days for pollen given the dry weather (Friday before 8 p.m., then a heavy shower will wash out the pollen)
